06Apr DSLR FILM NOOB business card
A question that comes in now and again is “What do you use for a business card?”. I’ll be heading off to NAB first thing in the morning and if you run into me, this is the card you’ll probably get. It took me a few tries and a number of experiments working with a graphic design artist to come up with something simple but classy. The design is oriented vertically with a simple splash of red to jazz things up. The text is embossed to add a little bit of shine and the rounded corners do a good job of bringing the focus inward.
I’ve seen a lot of cards lately that are covered front to back in photographs or a collage of images. At first I thought the looked good, but then I released that with all of that color coming at you it was actually hard to quickly find the information I was looking for. Simple designs tend to look better in my opinion.
On the back I went with a very limited, but easy to read set of information, e-mail address, youtube channel, and twitter handle. I know a lot of people feel that you should use your site address (@dslrfilmnoob.com) for your e-mail address, but I prefer a g-mail address because it’s a little more secure. If the site ever gets hacked I don’t have to worry about password changes going through my domain name provider. Also to me it feels a little more personal, with that in mind I am by no means a marketing expert, these are my choices but they might not be for everyone.
You’ll also notice I’ve left my phone number off of the card. To me e-mail is a good way to screen someone before providing a phone number. If a contact sends me a compelling e-mail, I’ll provide a phone number and arrange a time for a call. I travel quite a bit throughout the year and work all kinds of hours, I’d rather be able to plan for long phone calls if at all possible.
The only regret I have about my current card is the paper thickness. I miss ordered this batch at 10pt, but I normally use 17pt or 22pt to make the card feel a little more substantial. They still feel nice, but you never know when you’ll need to use your business card to scrape a windshield or keep a motel door from locking you out.
There are a lot of strong opinions about business cards out there. Design choices are pretty subjective and I don’t think there is any one definitive answer to what a card should look like. Test your design out on a few people you trust and listen to their feedback. Think about how you are marketing yourself and don’t go crazy with the job title list.
04Apr New Sony A7s 4k 12MP full frame camera to be announced on sunday?
According to Sonyrumors.com, Sony is likely to release a full frame mirrorless camera labeled the a7s (catchy name right?), with a 12 mp sensor that’s capable of shooting 4k video. Sony already has the Sony FDR-AX100 4k Ultra HD camcorder which means they’ve already worked out the internals needed to create a 4k camera with their BIONZ X Processor at a prosumer price. This is the same processor used in the Sony a7 mirrorless full frame camera labeled on chip as the Sony CXD90014 processor. The AX100 uses a 1 inch 20 megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor and can handle 24 and 30 fps frame rates at 4k.
Now imagine dropping the megapixel count to 12 megapixel (probably an effective count closer to 11 Mp) and increasing the sensor size to a full frame 36x24mm. That would make each pixel unit on the sensor roughly 2 times larger than the 6.25 µm square pixel units on the Canon 5d mark III. Increasing the pixel unit size by that much would dramatically increase low light performance which is why the Canon C300 uses a 9.84 megapixel sensor.
By reducing the megapixel count Sony also decreases the sensor read times and processing power need by the BIONZ X processor to handle an incoming 4k image. This could mean 4k frame rates higher than 30 fps and far less rolling shutter issues. Combine that with low light performance that’s possibly better than the 5d mark III and you would have a very attractive camera.
Where this gets really interesting for me is that this could allow me to use all of my Canon L glass with a Metabones adapter to shoot 4k in a full frame format. That could mean even better low light performance than the 5d mark III, no need to buy a new set of lenses, and the same shallow depth of field i’ve gotten used to over the years. A single $500 adapter versus a couple $1000 in lenses.
Part of the eye opener I noticed this week while playing around with the GH3 is the big difference in DOF on a M4/3 body. While I could always pick up a 25mm f0.95 lens to replace my 50mm f1.2, it would be much nicer to simply keep using all of my Canon glass.
Sounds like we’ll find out on Sunday if the rumors are true. If so, the Panasonic Gh4 could have an uphill battle at which point the decision might come down to price. Might need to sell off my Canon c100 to finance a Sony a7s if the rumors prove to be true (still don’t like the c100 much).
04Apr 3 cold shoe mounting adapter update
Just a quick follow up to something I posted last week. I received that $$9.99 cold shoe adapter in the mail and it’s actually a little thicker and heavier than the $20 model. The finish isn’t quite as good and the thumb screws are a little smaller, but other than that they are pretty much the same. May as well save a few dollars and buy the cheaper one if you are in the market.
04Apr 4 Axis brushless motor gimbal system?
This thing looks pretty amazing even though it’s only a prototype. It screams “shut up and take my money”, lets hope it sees the light of day.
03Apr MustHD 5.6 inch 1280×800 HDMI field monitor Review
Over all I’ve been pretty impressed with the image quality of the MustHD 5.6 inch field monitor. For a monitor in this price range it looks really good and the 1280×800 screen resolution is a very nice plus. The design and implementation of the sun hood and battery plates are very well thought out and the HDMI locking ports are a nice touch.
For the most part controls are pretty easy to use and the remote is an interesting feature for quick checks on focus. With the programmable button on the front of the panel, you probably won’t need to spend much, if any time digging through the menu system once you have this setup.
On the downside the MustHD monitor’s headphone port is a bit noisy which isn’t a deal breaker, but a little disappointing. While the build quality is very good for the price, it is made out of plastic, so you’ll want to protect it and keep it out of the rain. Also I personally prefer the red indication for focus peaking over the method used on the MustHD, however that’s more of a personal preference than a complaint.
I’m still surprised that they can include this good of a screen on the MustHD for this price. It was only a few years ago that we were paying almost as much for a 800×480 screen with far less options.
If you are working with a camera that can actually take advantage of the 1280×800 screen the MustHD 5.6 inch field monitor is well worth considering for the price. I think this will be replacing my smallhd dp4 in my camera bag for any jobs that aren’t out in the elements.
You can find out more about the MustHD on their site. You can also check out these earlier posts here and here for more hands on and pictures. If I get some time maybe I’ll compare this to the Aputure V-screen and Smallhd DP6 to see how it stacks up.
02Apr Used Gear watch: Canon 5d mark III $2650
NAB announcements are starting to impact the used gear market. Looks like Canon 5d mark III used prices are dropping a bit. Right now on ebay there is a 5d mark III body for a buy it now price of $2650 used with free shipping. There are also a few others under $2700 if you are in the market
. Keep an eye out, I think the prices will continue to drop as new cameras are announced.
01Apr Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 vs Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 flicker test
First, sorry for my lack of enthusiasm in this video, I filmed this right after a 12 hour shoot that sucked the life out of me. Still after all of the debate I really wanted to find out more about the aperture flicker many of you were reporting. I’ve watched the test clips a number of times and at f2.8 the Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 does flicker quite noticeably as you zoom in and out. The Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 seems to suffer from this as well though far less noticeably. Also the Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 i’m testing seems to flicker at higher F-stops while the flicker on the Olympus completely goes away at f3.2 and above. Paul made a good point in the comment section
The aperture is not mechanically linked to the zoom in this case, the aperture jumps positions electronically as the focal length changes.
After using much bigger lenses, I hadn’t really thought about how the aperture is actually controlled in some of these M4/3 lenses. To make the Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 as small as it is, it makes sense that they would have to use an electronically controlled aperture.
Holding both of these lenses in my hands the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 feels a lot more substantial. The focus ring and zoom ring on the Olympus are metal and the rubber on the Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 zoom ring makes it feel sort of like a kit lens. The Panasonic i’m borrowing has been in action for awhile (note the marks near the HD logo) so maybe it’s just been worn in, but in my personal opinion the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 feels like a nicer piece of kit.
The other major thing on my list to test is the image stabilization system. Hopefully I’ll have some time to play around with that today or tomorrow and see if that’s where the Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 really shines. I have until Friday to squeeze in a full review, if I don’t get it done you might end up with a few short bits like the one above. If there is anything you guys want me to test, just let me know.
31Mar Used Gear Watch: Audio Technica 4073 shotgun mic
One of my favorite boom microphones, the Audio Technica 4073 is often overlooked by filmmakers. It’s popularity in ENG work has made it so common that you can usually get it for a good price on the used market. New, the Audio Technica 4073 will set you back around $700, but right now there’s a 4073 on ebay with only 16 hours left of bidding sitting at $200 + $11 shipping with zero bids. It looks a little beat up but the 4073 is a work horse even with a few bumps and bruises. I’d have bid on it myself if I didn’t already own two 4073 mics. With less than 16 hours left it’ll probably sell for under $400 if you’re lucky. I should probably post a review of the 4073, it’s a great mic. I’ll add that to my list.
31Mar DFN Mail bag Episode 3 – DSLR FILM NOOB
Questions:
I just watched your video. Why do you use
A Y splitter on the Tascam DR-60d?Is there any advantage to using an XLR audio
adapter over something like the Tascam DR-60d?Which audio recorder/preamp/etc would you
normally and routinely use for video shooting?What exactly is the crotch bar?
Be sure to leave your questions in the comment section or on twitter.
30Mar Watson Duo LCD Charger sale on $39
It might not have the battery plates you want but B&H has the Watson Duo LCD charger on sale for $39 with free shipping. That saves you $30 over the normal price and you can pick up replacement battery plates for just $1.99 a piece here. Even after adding a few battery plates to your order you’ll still end up saving $36 over the normal $79 price tag.
You can find out more about the Watson Duo battery charger here and you can find out more about the battery plate options here in this earlier post. I’ve had pretty good luck with mine and use it on a daily bases.
